The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's articles of association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
Mission and Values
The Charity’s core objectives are to support organisations that challenge religious and racial hatred, promote inclusion and human dignity, and help communities resist division and extremism. Our work currently focuses on the organised far-right, the communities who are susceptible to them and the issues and policies which give rise to them.
We invest in trusted organisations with credibility, cultural competence, and strong relationships with marginalised communities.
Every organisation we support addresses one or more of our four strategic priorities:
Bridge relationships across communities. Enable facilitated dialogue, youth work, leadership development, and structured group encounters.
Build community resilience. Deepen local cohesion frameworks, foster engagement in democratic processes, and tackle intimidation and harassment.
Do youth-focused work. Nurture school linking, peer dialogue, critical media literacy, identity and belonging work, youth-led social action, creative and sports-based engagement.
Support digital and misinformation resilience. Training in media literacy, rapid-response community communications countering rumours, community moderators and digital ambassadors using trusted local networks to prevent escalation.
Volunteers
A few volunteers worked for the Charity from time to time during the year. Their contributions included fundraising and carrying out the objects and activities of the Charity.
Review of the activities undertaken by the Charity to further its charitable purposes for the public benefit
The Trustees believe that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
Policy for furthering objects and public benefit
The Trustees have had strong regard to guidance on public benefit, published by the Charity Commission in deciding the aims, objectives, strategy and activities of the Charity and are confident it operates for the public benefit in the following ways:
Raising and distributing funds to organisations working to challenge religious and racial hatred, reduce division, and strengthen community cohesion
Supporting work that promotes dignity, inclusion, belonging, democratic participation, resilience to misinformation, and safer more connected communities
Applying grant-making, eligibility and due diligence processes to ensure funds are used in furtherance of the Charity’s charitable purposes
Targeting funding towards organisations and communities where the Trustees consider the Charity’s resources can have the greatest impact
The Charity’s beneficiaries are the public generally and, communities affected by hatred, discrimination, and weak social cohesion
Ensuring that any private benefit arising from the Charity’s activities is incidental and necessary to achieving the Charity’s charitable purposes
Trustees assess and monitor public benefit through grant management due diligence, reporting, impact evidence and learning from funded work.
Grant making policy
Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust uses the following steps and processes to support transparent and robust grant making that complies with Charity Commission regulation and guidance. This includes the following:
Agreeing criteria for funding with Trustees, which is published on the charity’s website;
Applying agreed due diligence processes to all grants being taken to Trustees for decision;
Issuing a grant agreement and offer letter to organisations receiving a grant which includes confirmation of project start and end dates;
Monitoring the delivery of agreed grant objectives through reporting;
Ensuring that all spending and activities relating to an awarded grant are eligible under the grant agreement.
Trustees and staff seek to, wherever possible, share learning and impact from funded work with partners and other grantees.
Trustees reserve the right to apply conditions to any grant.
Trustees do not take part in any grant making decisions in which they are deemed to have a conflict of interest. This is clearly set out in Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust's Conflict of Interests record.
Plans for the future
The Charity has developed and agreed a Grant Making Strategy for 2026–29, intended to guide future grant making and ensure resources continue to be applied in furtherance of its charitable purposes.
Funding will remain focused on supporting organisations challenging religious and racial hatred, reducing division and strengthening community cohesion across the UK, but will operate at three distinct levels A Million Acts of Hope (small grants), Grassroots Grants, and Strategic Funding.
Trustees will seek to target resources towards areas of greatest need, using evidence such as the Social Fabric Index to identify communities with weaker social cohesion and lower levels of community infrastructure. The Charity will continue to prioritise organisations with strong local relationships, relevant expertise or the ability to deliver work aligned with its strategic priorities.
The Charity will also develop partnerships with grantees, other funders, Community Foundations and, where appropriate, statutory funders, where these relationships can increase the impact and reach of its work while preserving the Charity’s independence. Trustees will continue to review the effectiveness of the funding streams, geographical focus and partnership approach, and use evidence and learning from funded work to strengthen future grant-making decisions.
The strategy was developed after the reporting period and is included to as a reference document.
Structure, governance and management
The Charity is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 7th August 1992 governed by Articles of Association.
The Charity directs its affairs through meetings of the Trustees, who are also Directors for company law purpose. They meet a minimum of four times a year, and by correspondence between meetings.
The Board delegates broad discussions around grant making to the Grant Making Sub Committee which is comprised of three members of the Board. The Sub Committee has a terms of reference in place and meets at least three times a year. Decisions on grants, wherever possible, are made at the full Trustee meeting.
Formal induction for Trustees is being developed with an aim to have a complete induction in place by the time any new Trustees are appointed. Trustees receive training on safeguarding. The existing Trustees inform a potential Trustee about the Charity's objects and activities before any appointment with a view to the potential Trustee helping to achieve the set goals and objectives of the Charity.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to date of signature of the financial statements were:
Mr P Adams
Mr Q M Asim
Mr G Josan
Ms R K Wynne-Jones
Mr K F Hopkins (Appointed 27 October 2025)
Ms F L O'Grady (Appointed 27 October 2025)
Ms C Alderton (Appointed 27 October 2025 and appointment ended on 19 June 2026)
Financial review
During the year, the charity received incoming resources totaling £986,166 (2024: £984,868) including £268,733 (2024: £444,667) of restricted funds and expended resources totaling £1,075,467 (2024: £931,307), including £331,733 (2024: £419,382) expended from restricted funds. At the balance sheet date, the charity held unrestricted funds of £6,573 (2024: £32,874) and restricted funds of £nil (2024: £63,000).
Although most of the charity's incoming resources consist of short-term grants, the directors made the decision in 2015 to gradually build up the charity's unrestricted funds until a steady £100,000 was available as a reserve to allow the continued operations of the charity should there be a sudden shortfall in incoming resources. In December 2024, the Trustees agreed to increase charity’s reserves by a further £50,000 a year for the following three years, starting in 2025.
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
Name change
In 2025, Trustees voted to change the name of Hope Not Hate Charitable Trust to Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust.
Grant to Hope Not Hate Ltd
During the year, Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust awarded a core grant of £896,381 to Hope Not Hate Ltd to support its work in accordance with the key objectives of the Charitable Trust. This funding is provided in line with our Strategic Funding strand. The two organisations have a focus on supporting and delivering activities to challenge religious and racial hatred, promote inclusion and human dignity, and help communities resist division and extremism, with a focus on the organised far-right and the communities who are susceptible to them and the issues and policies which give rise to them.
Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust funding is only provided to support work that is charitable, supports our Objectives and is non-party political.
Our grant supported the following work:
Community Organising
The Charitable Trust grant to Hope Not Hate Ltd supported the growth of the localised community work in Bradford, Knowsley and Wigan, holding community events and delivering trainings. In July 2025, in partnership with the Bradford Bulls rugby club, Hope not Hate Limited held a free family fun day attended by over 10,000 people from across the Bradford District. The team produced and distributed 100,000 newspapers locally advertising the event and celebrating positive stories to build civic pride.
Community and Cohesion
The Charitable Trust grant supported response work to anti-migrant protests. The communities team worked with partners in areas where the protests have been taking place, both offering information and background briefings, but also advice about how best to handle it. They also provided support to local communities and councils.
Research
The Charitable Trust grant supported the work of the research team to monitor far right extremism, anti-migrant activity and terrorist activity, understand trends and support the output of the rest of the organisation. During 2025, the research team produced regular briefings and held training sessions with service providers and the wider migrant and refugee sector.
Education and young people
The Charitable Trust grant supported positive campaign around young men. Launching a Positive Masculinity group to advance greater work around engaging with young men. The Charitable Trust grant continued to support the education team’s delivery of trainings.
The Charity receives quarterly reports on the progress of the grant from Hope Not Hate Ltd and trustees engage in regular dialogue to further our understanding of the challenges and to develop our strategic objectives.
In addition to the work funded by Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust, Hope Not Hate Ltd carries out political campaigning work. This work is not supported by any grants provided by Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust.
The trustees' report was approved by the board of trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2025.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ICAEW, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.
Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 167-169 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5PF.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102 and has complied with the reporting requirement.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Where grant income is subject to performance related conditions, the income is recognised to the extent that performance has been achieved.
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand and deposits held at call with
banks.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
The primary area where judgement is required is in relation to the recognition of deferred income from performance related grants.
Grants received
Included within donations and gifts is a restricted donation of £10,000 (2024: £10,000) from Toms Trust (Rathbone Investment).
Included within grants received is a restricted grant of £27,000 (2024: £13,000) from The Barrow Cadbury Trust, £55,000 (2024: £63,000) from Paul Hamlyn Foundation, £58,733 (2024: £50,667) from AB Charitable Trust, £58,000 (2024: £40,000) from Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and £60,000 (2024: £60,000) from This Day Foundation.
Fundraising activities
Annual dinner
Raising funds
Annual dinner
To carry out research, training and other tasks necessary to stop the spread of hate amongst communities in the UK.
Prevention of hate
Prevention of hate
Stationery, printing and office costs
Telecommunications and computer costs
Bank charges
Publicity and outreach
Subcontractor costs
Insurance
Rent, rates and venue hire
Power, light and heat
Professional subscriptions
Included within charitable expenditure is £65,586 (2024: £56,314) paid in respect of operating lease costs.
Prevention of hate
Prevention of hate
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration, benefits or reimbursement of expenses from the charity during the two years ended 31 December 2025.
During the year no trustees made donations to the charity.
Professional fees
Based on the time spent on each activity.
Accountancy and audit fees
Based on the time spent on each activity.
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
Included within other debtors is £52,674 (2024: £48,102) owed to the charity by Hope Not Hate Limited.
Deferred income is included within other creditors falling due within one year and has arisen as a result of performance-related conditions on grants not being fulfilled at the reporting date and therefore unconditional entitlement to the income has not passed to the charity at the year end.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Resources expended
Resources expended
The following work was carried out by the charity with restricted funds during the year:
a = Community development work in England
b = Funding of the polling, research and publishing of a Fear and Hope report
c = For the training of community leaders and to run three community events
d = Support for workings in schools
e = Promotes human dignity and defends the human rights
f = Funding of asylum, refugee and migration work
g = Support for de-radicalisation work
h = Support for responding to far-right attacks, anti-migrant hate, extreme misogyny and trans hate
i = Project on anti-Muslim hate
At the reporting end date the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
At the year end, the charity was owed £52,674 (2024: £48,102) by Hope Not Hate Limited.
During the year, the charity made grants totalling £896,381 (2024: £787,858) to Hope Not Hate Limited.